


Why Me?

by VicaliW



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 23:46:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18227042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicaliW/pseuds/VicaliW
Summary: Short story set the day after the finale.





	Why Me?

The day after the hedgehog incident and after coming back together, John and Kayleigh were back at work, it was finally Friday and Kayleigh was looking forward to going to Johns for tea. He had asked her on the telephone after they had found their way to their respective homes via bus and a taxi for John from Mandy’s.

Kayleigh rang John at 19.30 that night to check that he had returned safely “Hi ya, you get back ok?”

“Yes, no thanks to you and that bloody hedgehog!”

“Oh don’t…I feel awful John.”

“Not as bad as me…I’ve had no sleep and now I have no car!”

Kayleigh giggled “but you have me?”

“Aye, and don’t I know it!” John smiled.

There was a moments silence.

“Anyway…” started John “Paul is going to lend me his car as he can use Claire’s so he is coming round in a bit.”

“Aw that’s nice…”

“Yeah, so I will still be able to pick ya up in the morning, that’s if you still want me too?”

“Course I do…I thought we agreed earlier we would continue car sharing.”

“Thought I’d better check” John added

“Incase I got better offer?”

“Funny!”

“I know…I really enjoyed our bus trip…”

“Did ya?” John asked softly.

“Yeah.”

They both smiled at the memory of holding hands and being close on the bus.

“I was wondering actually, as it’s Friday tomorrow, if you wanted to come by for tea…at mine…after work?”

Kayleigh silently did a victory cheer then composed herself “yeah…I mean if you’re sure…”

“I’m sure…I can drop you back to Mandy’s later.”

“Oh I thought I’d be staying the night!” Kayleigh smirked to herself.

“Eh?” said a panicked John.

“John, I’m joking!”

“You like winding me up today don’t ya?”

“You make it so easy” she laughed “what we gonna have then?”

“I would say Chinese as you’ve hinted that in the past but the local Chinese has shut for a few weeks, we could get one of those box takeaways from the shop?” John suggested.

“Yeah sounds great…can’t wait!”

“Me neither.”

John’s doorbell rang “ey up think Paul’s here…text you later?”

“Yep.”

“Ok…bye bye”

“Bye John” after Kayleigh hit the red button to hang up she sighed and fell back onto her bed not able to wipe the smile from her face.

That next morning John had picked her up Paul’s Ford Focus, it was different, but being with John felt just the same if not better, knowing that their friendship was now so much more. 

As the working day ended John approached Kayleigh on her promotions stand “you ready then?”

“Oh John! You made me jump! Yeah will be with you in just a sec, I just got to go and get my bag.”

“Ok, I will be down the ready meal aisle” he smiled at her.

“What?” Kayleigh asked.

“What?” asked John not realising she had spotted him looking dough eyed at her.

“Have I got something on my face?” she asked panicked.

“No, why?”

“You’re just looking at me funny.”

“Funny? I was just…” John started to get embarrassed “I was just…I’ll see you in a bit” he hurried off.

Kayleigh looked on as he walked off, leaving her with joy in her heart that they would be eating together at his house, after weeks, months, of fantasising about this very moment she couldn’t believe it was actually about to happen.

There were a few looks from staff when Kayleigh joined John in the ready meal aisle as they discussed which meal to get. Kayleigh hadn’t really noticed but John had and was acting slightly awkward.

“John, are you ok?”

“Yeah, just wish people would mind their own business” he gestured to the likes of Diane and Elsie who were hovering around.

“Oh, don’t worry about them, just focus on food! God I love a Chinese… and Indian – what do you want?”

“You pick.”

Kayleigh picked their box meal for two and they went to the self-service checkout at John’s insistence and he paid for their Chinese ready meal for two with a packet of prawn crackers.

The ride home was less comfortable than the morning journey in had been; John appeared to be still edgy from the gossips peering on just before.

“John, why does it worry you that people saw us shopping? They don’t know exactly what we are up to or what’s going on? By the sounds of what Elsie said at the works night out they already think it and that started when nothing was happening.”

“I know…it’s just, I hate people knowing my business and saying what they like thinking they know it to be true.”

“Like when we all thought you were gay?” she laughed.

“Yes, exactly like that!” he shook his head.

“John, honestly, don’t worry, don’t let it ruin our night.”

“Yeah, sorry, I hope this hasn’t got our night off to a bad start for you?”

“I’m used to you by now John.”

“That’s what worries me” he looked over and smiled at her.

“You got that funny look again John” she said mischievously.

“What funny look are you on about? I’m just smiling!” he replied aghast.

“I know but there’s something different about your smile.”

“What you on about?”

Kayleigh giggled “you know.”

“No, I don’t know, what ya on about?”

“You look as happy as I do” she said as she looked out the window hoping she hasn’t pushed it too far and ruined the evening by making him feel awkward.

“Well, if you are as happy as me, well then, you must be very happy” he looked away from her hoping to avoid too much sentiment.

Kayleigh touched his hand quickly to let him know she understood.

As they arrived at Johns and the food was being heated in the oven, John got changed out his work clothes into some jeans and a nice but casual shirt, he wanted to look like he had made some sort of effort as this ready meal had only cost him a fiver.

Kayleigh also brought a change of clothes, just jeans and a white jumper, again nice but casual, she didn’t care what they did as long as they were together.

After the meal, Kayleigh and John sat and watched TV.

“Oh its double Corrie tonight.”

“Double corrie!?”

“Yeah 7.30 and 8.30 – don’t you watch it?”

“Sometimes, if I am at me Mum or me Nans…is that really what you want to watch, not a film?”

“No, I’m happy with Corrie, if that is ok with you?”

He handed her the remote control “fill ya boots, I’ll go and wash up and make a brew.” 

“Ta” Kayleigh said as she took the remote and got herself comfortable on the couch.

As the first part of corrie finished John was in the corner of the couch with his arm round Kayleigh who was snuggled into his chest. He surprised himself how this comfortable closeness had developed so quickly after he sat back down after bringing the cups in; but Kayleigh manoeuvred it in such a way he didn’t even realise it had happened until he found his arm naturally cradling her.

“This is nice” said Kayleigh as she adjusted her head position slightly.

“Aye it is” he rubbed her arm. 

“You don’t mind me laying on you like this?”

“No, no, not at all…are you ok?”

“Mmm” Kayleigh replied closing her eyes in contentment.

“Kayleigh…can I ask you something?”

Kayleigh’s eyes opened wide “yeah of course” she replied suspiciously.

“Why me?”

Kayleigh moved away from John’s chest so she could look at him “what do you mean?”

“Why me? Of all the blokes in the world, why me?”

“John…is this the paranoid and sensitive you coming out again?” she giggled.

“Yeah, I spose…I just cant help wondering how I have managed to get someone like you to be my friend let alone want anything else…”

“Awww John…”

“Well you could have anyone you wanted? Why me?”

“You mean like all those guys on heart searchers? Yeah, they were real catches!”

“Well not them obviously” he laughed at the memory of her selecting the most ridiculous men and their not so subtle names “but there are better men out there.”

“I know there are, you’re one of them.”

John shook his head.

“John, you are!”

“What? An assistant manager in a supermarket who runs away from his emotions, offending the person who turns out to be the one person who actually means the most to him – family excluded of course.”

“Of course” she smiled.

“I just don’t think I will ever understand it.”

“Well don’t try, you told me off yesterday for over analysing things. Remember?”

“Regretfully…yeah” John ashamedly replied.

“Do you remember the John Lewis advert with the penguin?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” asked a perplexed John.

“Do you remember it?”

“Yeah, I remember it.”

“The song on it by Tom something or other…Real Love…”

“Tom Odell…Well it was originally a John Lennon slash Beatles track but carry on.”

“Anyway whoever, there was a line in that…oh how did it go…” Kayleigh tried and failed to remember all the words as she started to sing ’hmm da da da been in love before, but in my heart I wanted more, seems like all I really was doing was waiting for you.’”

John pulled a face as if his ears were about to bleed “what the hell was that?” he laughed.

Kayleigh smacked him in the arm “John, don’t be so mean…I’m trying to be serious here.”

John laughed some more “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…back to the song.”

“Yes, anyway…Lost my train of thought now…oh yeah…what I am trying to say is that all this time I think I was just waiting for you” Kayleigh moved further away knowing how deep she was getting and how uncomfortable John may get.

“’Thought I’d been in love before…” said John as he sat up.

“Ey?” Kayleigh said confused.

“That was the line you didn’t get right in the song.”

“Oh right” replied Kayleigh, annoyed that all he can do is correct her lyric knowledge after what she has said.

John continued “and if truth be told I feel the same, I thought I’d been in love before, but I wasn’t and maybe, just maybe, all this time I was waiting for you too.”

John moved closer to Kayleigh who was sitting forward on couch, he put his arm round her and pulled her in for a hug, she turned to look at him and as they stared into each others eyes John took the giant leap of leaning in for a soft kiss on the lips which was reciprocated softly by Kayleigh. 

After a few minutes of sharing their first kiss they pulled a part.

“Well John...I was not expecting that?”

“Nor was I if I’m honest” he smiled awkwardly.

“It was nice…”

“Nice? Nice?!” John said horrified.

“What?”

“I can do better than nice” he went in for another kiss that shook Kayleigh to the core.

“Bloody hell John…”

“Better than just nice?” asked a hopeful John.

“Better than anything John – honestly...wow.”

They looked longingly at each other.

“Ohh next part of Corries on” said Kayleigh sitting back on the couch with the remote in hand as the Corrie theme tuned played.

John just shook his head and laughed “I’ll make another brew then.”

He left a smiling Kayleigh sitting on his couch looking at as content as he was, and as another verse John knew from the song Real Love entered his head, he knew this was it.

“From this moment on I know, exactly where my life will go, seems like all I really was doing, was waiting for love. Don’t need to be afraid, no need to be afraid. It’s real love…” He hummed as he walked to the kitchen.


End file.
